Trump to tell China to end ‘predatory’ trade practices

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will tell China to “cease predatory trade” practices, such as denying US firms free access to its domestic market and stealing intellectual property rights, during his visit to Beijing as part of his five-nation trip to Asia, his first since taking office.

Trump will underscore his commitment to long-standing US alliances and partnerships and reaffirm “leadership on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific”, a senior White House official said on Monday, previewing the visit to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines starting on November 5.

The use of the word “predatory” for China was interesting, coming just days after secretary of state Rex Tillerson used it, also for China, in a policy speech on India ahead of his visit to South Asia. He used it to describe Beijing’s aggression in the IndoPacific and its regional connectivity projects.

In China, Trump will ask Beijing to do more on North Korea, the official said, and send a “clear message” that for bilateral economic relations to be sustainable over the long term, “China must provide fair and reciprocal treatment to US firms and cease predatory trade and investment practices”.

Asked to define “predatory”, the official joked it would take him half an hour to go through the list which, he indicated, was long.